Jeremiah 6:4-14

4 "Prepare for battle against her; get ready; let's attack by noon! Oh, no! Daylight is fading, and the evening shadows lengthen.
5 Get ready, let's attack by night and destroy her fortresses!"
6 The LORD of heavenly forces proclaims: Cut down her trees, and build siege ramps against Jerusalem. This city must be held accountable, for there's nothing but oppression in her midst.
7 As a well brings forth fresh water, she brings forth evil. Violence and destruction are heard within her; injury and wounds are ever before me.
8 Hear me out, Jerusalem, or else I'll turn away from you and reduce you to ruins, a land unfit to live in.

Unresponsive people

9 This is what the LORD of heavenly forces says: From top to bottom, let them harvest the remaining few in Israel. Pick clean every last grape on the vine!
10 To whom can I speak and warn? How can I get someone's attention? Their ears are shut tight, so they won't hear. They are ashamed of the LORD's word and take no pleasure in it.
11 But I'm filled with the LORD's rage and am tired of holding it in. Pour it out on the children in the streets and on the youths gathered together; husband with wife will be trapped, as will those old and gray.
12 Their homes will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well. I will stretch out my hand against the people of this land, declares the LORD.
13 From the least to the greatest, each is eager to profit; from prophet to priest, each trades in dishonesty.
14 They treat the wound of my people as if it were nothing: "All is well, all is well," they insist, when in fact nothing is well.

Jeremiah 6:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 6

This chapter is of the same argument with the former; and contains two things in it, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, and the causes of it, which are intermixedly handled in it; a lively description is made of the notice of the approach of the enemy by blowing of trumpets and firing of beacons, Jer 6:1, and of the siege of the city, by pitching tents around it, casting up a mount against it, and scaling its walls at noon and by night, Jer 6:2-6, and this destruction is illustrated by the simile of gleaning of grapes, Jer 6:9, and amplified by the universality of it, with respect to persons and things; it reaching to persons of every age, and in every state, as old men, young men, and children, husbands and wives, and to all sorts of possessions, houses and fields, Jer 6:11,12,21, a description is given of the instruments of it, the Chaldeans, Jer 6:22,23 and it is aggravated by the anxiety, distress, and sorrow, the Jews would be in on account of it, Jer 6:24-26, the causes of it are in general the great aboundings of sin and wickedness in the midst of them, illustrated by a fountain casting out its waters, Jer 6:6,7, in particular, their neglect and contempt of the word of the Lord, Jer 6:10, the sin of covetousness, which prevailed among all sorts of people, high and low, in civil or religious life, Jer 6:13, the unfaithfulness of the prophets to the people, declaring peace, when there was none, Jer 6:14, their impenitence and hardness, Jer 6:15, their disregard to all instructions and warnings, Jer 6:16,17, their rejection of the law, and the precepts of it, Jer 6:18,19, their hypocritical sacrifices, Jer 6:20, and the chapter is concluded with an address to the prophet, setting forth his character and office, and the end of it, Jer 6:27 and his testimony concerning the people, showing their obstinacy and stubbornness, illustrated by a simile of refining metal in a furnace without success, Jer 6:28-30.

Footnotes 3

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